Slot mechanism



E. J. BROWN SLOT MECHANISM Jan. 5, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 24, 1952 INVENTOR I Eda/Ln JB rwu/n/ Jan. 5, 1937. E. J. BROWN 2,066,$2@

SLOT MECHANI SM Filed 001;. 24, 1932 3Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Edwuz :[Brown ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a slot mechanism; more particularly to a. dispensing slot mechanism, also called a vending machine. Such apparatus, when actuated by the proper token or tokens, dispenses goods, a package for instance, or performs some service of function in consideration of the tokens.

Apparatus of this kind has always presented certain problems in respect to checking the token as to whether it is the correct token for the goods or service given, and as to actuation by a number of tokens of a given value, when more than one token is to be given or paid for a certain package of goods or a certain service.

The token may be incorrect inasmuch as it is wrong or is false. In the following I shall distinguish between false and wrong tokens in the following manner: The currency used in a certain country may comprise coins of different denominations, but the slot mechanism is to respond to only one coin of particular value, a specific token of a Specific denomination. If the customer by error or mistake wants to insert any other coin or token but that for which the mechanism is intended, such a coin or token is a wrong token.

Slot mechanisms however very frequently are abused, an effort being made to actuate such mechanism by a counterfeit coin or a slug, possibly similar in size to the correct token, but of less value. Incorrect tokens of that kind I shall hereinafter call false tokens It, is one object of this invention to provide a slot mechanism which refuses wrong tokens, in such manner that they cannot be inserted into the machine or mechanism at all.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate false tokens from the correct tokens and either to reject them or temporarily retain them, and to actuate an alarm in order to draw attention generally to the fact that an attempt has been made to actuate the slot mechanism by a false token. r

If an attempt is made to abuse the slotmechanism by wrong tokens, and the party making such an attempt manages to insert a wrong token such a wrong token should a1so,'and it does in this invention,-actuate an alarm. j

A further object of this invention is to provide means returning to the user of a slot mecha nism, which is to be actuated only by a certain number of tokens, an insuificient or excess number of such tokens inserted by the user; if for instance a slot mechanism is built to, dispense a package when three tokens are 'inserted, but only two or one have been inserted, the two or one tokens are rejected, and returned to the user; if four tokens are inserted the dispenser is actuated and the one excess coin is returned. 5,

A further object of this invention is to provide means permitting the ready change of a slot mechanism from one denomination of tokens to another intended denomination of tokens.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a slot mechanism in which component parts, which may have to be exchanged at times, may readily be detached from the body of the apparatus and be replaced without complicated disassembling or reassembling operations.

One further object of this invention is to provide a mechanism which cannot be clogged up, or blocked, or put out of operation by the insertion of foreign matter. It is also an objectof this invention to provide an apparatus which performs quickly and with certainty the operation of separating the correct, the false and the wrong tokens, and the wrong change, which at the same time however responds immediately to the correct token and to the correct number of tokens.

Another object of this invention relates to quick adjustment of a mechanism of this kind for the dispensing of wares, packages or goods of different sizes.

Additional objects of this invention will be elucidated in the following description as explained by the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional, sectioned elevation of the mechanism of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar rear elevation of my invention.

Dot-dash lines, arrows and corresponding numbers explain in the foregoing figures the direction in which the views of the other figures are taken respectively.

Fig. 3 shows a fractional top view of the device of my invention, the top part and covering having been removed.

Fig. 4 shows a fractional front elevation of the device of my invention.

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the adjustable means used for the goods to be dispensed.

Fig. 6 shows a partial side view of the selector in the normal starting portion actuated by a token.

Fig. 7 shows a. selector in a corresponding View in an intermediate operating position.

Fig. 8 shows the selector in a corresponding view in the position of extreme clockwise rotation.

Fig. 9 shows the selector in a corresponding view but in an intermediate operating position operated by a false token.

The corresponding view of Fig. 10 shows a selector plate in a position slightly advanced from that of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 shows a partial bottom view of the selector illustrating the selective dispensation of correct tokens.

Figs. 12 and 13 are detail cross-sections, taken in directions normal to each other as indicated in Fig. 10 and serving to show the means for elimination of false tokens.

Similar numerals refer throughout the various views.

One of the important features of my invention, as mentioned above, is the adaptability of my device for various tokens and various multiples of tokens. For the purpose of the accompanying exemplary illustrations I have selected a device adapted to be actuated by a pair of tokens; but anybody acquainted with this art will readily understand that the device may be arranged to receive any multiplicity of tokens of any different denominations, and that it can readily be changed from one plurality to the other and from one denomination to the other. The machine is provided with an intake I in which the token is inserted and passes,if not refused as a wrong token,into a selector in the housing H. The selector comprises a plurality of selector plates, which were already referred to above, several detailed views explaining the action of said plates P. If the correct coin has been received in the selector plates, a transmitter T is actuated and transmits the force of manipulation applied to the selector to the dispenser D, which dispenses goods as delivered thereto from an elevator E. When the wrong tokens are refused at the intake I they drop into a pocket W on top of the housing H. When false tokens have been inserted into the mechanism or the wrong number of tokens has been inserted thereinto they are rejected by the mechanism, and respectively are passed to the false token pocket F or refund pocket R or they may be passed into one and the same pocket. When the correct amount of correct tokens has been inserted into the mechanism, and the goods are duly dispensed, said tokens are deposited in a collection pocket C which is arranged upon the rear of base B. The mechanism shown inthe drawings may form part of a larger cabinet, said collection pocket C being disposed upon the inside of said cabinet. When no such cabinet is used but the device is simply mounted on the top of the base B which in that case is a column, the collection pocket C is of course arranged upon the inside of such a column. Tokens will be identified in the following by the letter O to which numerals are afiixed in the order in which they are referred to.

Such a token OI is shown to be inserted'in Fig. 1 in a slot 2 |,of the width of said token,- provided in the curved outer wall 22 extending over the front, back and top of the intake I. The coin inserted in the slot 2| strikes a lever 23, which is fulcrumed upon a pivot 24 extending between the free ends 25 of levers 26. The levers 26 are laterally displaced upon either side of slot 2| and are fulcrumed upon a rod 21, rotating thereon, near the base of the intake I. The levers 26 are normally pulled frontwardly by a tension spring 28. The token 0| rests upon a.

to similar parts false bottom 29, which extends from the lower front end backwardly, and is disposed substantially concentric to the rod 21 where the token 0| rests thereupon.

A short distance behind said coin the said false bottom 29 is slanted and then extends straight down into the housing H along the path of the token rolling thereover into the housing H as indicated by tokens O2 and 03. Upon the back part of the wall 22 is disposed a channel 30, which may be slightly spread at its top end receiving 0| and guiding it down as it follows the slope of false bottom 29. I prevent the insertion of a token which is larger than the correct token by limiting the width of slot 2| accordingly and by gauging the height of said slot above the false bottom 29 so as just to allow the correct coin to be inserted.

The correct token 0| having thus been inserted, it strikes the downward extension 3| of lever 23 and begins to swing the said lever around the pivot 24. But immediately the toe 32 extending from the front of lever 23 engages upon the circumference of the token and prevents further swinging of lever 23 around pivot 24. When the token 0| is further pushed by the operator into the intake I,the swinging of lever 23 having been blocked,--it pushes the levers 26 back, sliding over the concentric part of the false bottom 29, until it slides onto the slanted part of said bottom, whereupon the lever 23 is allowed to swing out of its blocked position and the token passes into the position 02 where it is engaged on its free end in the channel 30, and then drops down.

The positions into which the levers 23 and 26 were pushed by the tokens thus passing into the housing are indicated at 23a and 26a.

If the token,which the operator intends to insert in the intake I,-is smaller than the correct token, it also strikes the extension 3| of lever 23, and swings said lever back. But the circumference of said token is not immediately engaged upon by the toe 32 in the manner of the correct token, and therefore the lever 23 swings a certain distance in clockwise direction around pivot 24 until the lug 33 on said lever strikes the wall 22. But the small wrong token cannot push back the lever 26, such pushing back of said lever being blocked by the interference of a downward extension 34 of wall 22 with lug 33. The small wrong token can therefore not be inserted; it is refused by the machine and drops into the wrong token pocket W on top of housing H. The distance of the wall 22 above and the extension 34 in back of lug 33 are slightly exaggerated for purposes of perspicuity. These dimensions may be limited in such a manner that nothing but 'just the correct token brings about any substantial movement of the levers, a small wrong token causing immediate blocking of lug 33 against wall 22 and extension 34. The intake is mounted upon the top of the housing and may be replaced if the parts are to be adjusted to different sizes of tokens or if a different number of tokens are to be received thereby. In the drawings the intake is arranged to receive two tokens as explained above. The two slits of the insert are shown to be separated in the drawing by a heavier central partition 35; aforedescribed parts of the intake are substantially symmetrically duplicated on either side of said partition.

After having passed from the intake into the housing, the token O3 is guided by channel 30 into one of the selector plates P. In the present invention one such plate is provided'for each one of the number of tokens which are to be received by the machine for one actuation; the drawing showing the machine exemplarily to be adapted for two tokens, there are two plates P rigidly mounted upon a shaft 40. Each plate P comprises a disc 4| and a cover 42 on said disc which is partly sectioned away in Fig. 1. The cover 42 is substantially semi-circular, covering about half of disc 4|. Upon opposite sides rods 43 and 44 clamp together the various plates and thereby the respectivediscs 4| and covers 42.

The shaft 45 is suitably journalled, rotatably but endwise stationarily, upon housing H and carries on one end the crank 4! with handle 48. The crank handle 41 has upon the opposite side of shaft 40 an extension 49 which is normally pressed by the tension of spring 56 against the stop pin 45. The angular movement of crank 41 is limited in the opposite direction by a stop pin 46. One of plates P, the last plate P| to the right seen from the front of the machine, carries an annular sector 5|, which is attached to said plate, and which is serrated near its front end 52 and its rear end 53. A double pointed pawl 54 is mounted upon a stud 55 extending from one side wall of the housing H and is in operative alignment with the sector 5|. A tension member 55 extending from a slot in said pawl into a correspondingly slotted lug 51 on said wall of housing H normally retains the pawl in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the movement of the crank 41 is begun, the plates P mounted on shaft 40 being rotated thereby, pawl 54 is brought into operative engagement with the serrations 52 of sector 5|, so that the crank 41 cannot return into its normal position, unless the plates are rotated so far, that the pawl 54 slides off the other end of sector 5|. The pawl 54 slides oif the said other end in this manner when the crank 41 has been pushed back so far that the extension 49 strikes pin 46. The pawl then snaps back into its normal position of Fig. 1. In a similar manner the return motion of crank 41 must necessarily be carried through until the plates are again in the position of Fig. 1, because the other point at the end of pawl 54 engages upon serrations 53 and 52, so that the operator must complete the return stroke. It is important for the operation of this machine, that the front and back stroke of the crank cannot be partly repeated on account of the serrated sectors 5|, because otherwise a return of a token may be brought about after the package has been delivered, and the machine could be otherwise tampered with.

The disc 4| of the plate (Figs. 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) is provided with a groove 66 extending across one face thereof, offset from the shaft 46, said groove facing the cover 42. One end of said groove faces the bottom end of intake I, when the extension 49 of handle 41 is in its position of rest against pin 45. Transversely to the machine the said groove is also in alignment with the channel 36. The token in passing through the intake drops therefore into the one end of groove 66,-

.and rolls into the position of token 04 of Fig. 6.

Upon the face of disc 4| is rotatably fulcrumed on pivot 6| a three armed lever 62. One arm 63 of said lever extends between disc 4| and cover 42 and swingably carries at its free end a gauge 64 on a pin 65. The pin 65 extends into a slot 66 in clearance groove 59 of disc 4| which limits the rocking motion of arm 63. The gauge 64 is provided with a concavely disposed edge 61 on one side of pin 65, the said edge fitting substantially in notch 14 of lever 62. not engage upon lug 84,will swing past said around the circumference of the correct token 04. Whereas normally the spring 68 pulls the arm 63 together with the lever 62 in a clockwise direc tion down,the gauge 64 hanging straight down due to gravity,the said arm 63 is swung slightly in counter clockwise direction around pivot 6| by an approaching token 04, the force of gravity and of travel of said token forcing it to slide underneath and lifting the concave edge 61 of gauge 64. Another arm 69 of lever 62 carries a roller 10 on its free end which is engaged upon a finger II when the plate is in the position of Fig. 6, before the token O4 slides into the position shown. When the said token slides into position, the said roller 16 is lifted off finger into the position shown in the drawings.

The third arm 12 of lever 62 is provided with notches l3 and 74 at its end, which are slantedly arranged in the manner of steps. Through the various plates P rotatably extends a shaft 15, upon which are fixedly mounted a plurality ofpawls 16, one pawl for each plate of the selector. Said pawls are in operative alignment with arms 12. When the lever 62 has been swung in counterclockwise direction by token O4 in the manner of Fig. 6, the step 13 of arm 12 is swung out of the range of pawl 16, said pawl therefore dropping into notch 14, when it is allowed to swing in counter clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. '7 if lever 62 is not blocked in the counter clockwise. direction and as will be explained below. But if the tokens are rolled into groove 66 without sufficient force and momentum to swing the lever 62 into the position of Fig. 6, the pawl 16 will not drop into notch 14 when swung in counter clockwise direction, but will drop into notch 13. The pawl is lodged in notch 13 in Figs. 9 and 10, the false token 06 of Fig. 9 being of less weight than the correct token and having on that account been unable to swing lever 62 to such an extent in counter clockwise direction, that the pawl 16 falls into notch 14.

The shaft 15 carries on its right end a drag lever H. The said lever is pulled in counterclockwise direction by a spring 18 hooked onto theend of rod 43. The drag lever 11 is provided at one free end with a roller 19, which is engaged in the position of Fig. 6 upon a finger 8| similar to finger 1|. While the roller 19 is engaged upon fingers 8|, the pawl 16 is prevented from engaging upon arm 12. But when the plates P are rotated by crank 41, the drag lever I1 is free to follow the tension of spring 18 and drops either into notch 14,-when the correct coin has properly swung the lever 62 in clockwise direction, or

into notch 73 when there is no token in groove 60, or when the token is of insufficient weight, like the false coin 06.

Upon the shaft 40 idles a lever 86, with two arms 82 and 83. Arm 82 is provided with a lug 84, which extends into operative alignment with a hook 85 on the end of drag lever TI. The said hook engages the lug 84 on arm 82 upon rotation of the plate P provided the pawl 15 is lodged But the said hookv will lug as shown in Figs. 9 and l0,when pawl 16 is lodged in notch I3 of lever 62. Of course each lever 62 of each plate P making up each set of plates of one selector may be differently positioned in respect to pawl 16, according to whether a proper token is lodged in the respective groove 60, or no token, or an underweight token is retained in the respective groove. All the pawls 16 are however mounted on the same shaft, so

.from shaft 89.

that none of them can drop into notch 14, if one drops into notch I3, the said one pawl engaged upon said one notch I3 preventing further counter clockwise rotation of shaft I5. Unless therefore all grooves 68 contain correct tokens, hook 85 on drag lever 81 cannot engage upon lug 84 on lever 88. Since actuation of lever 88 eventually serves to transmit the power of manipulation to the dispensing parts of the device, the device is not actuated and no dispensation can take place unless the full amount of correct tokens are placed into the machine.

A short distance back of hook 85, a tooth 86 extends in the same direction from drag levers TI. The said tooth engages upon lug 84,-after lever 88 has been swung to an extremeposition in clockwise direction by the hook 85 when handle 84 is released and the selector plates return to their normal position of Figs. 1, and 6, lever 88 thus also being swung back into its normal position.

The second arm 83 of idle lever 88 is omitted in Figs. 6, '7, 8, 9 and 10, but its operation may be followed in the views of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 11. Arm 83 transmits the motion imparted by way of lug 84 to lever 88. The free end of arm 83 is connected by a link 81 to one arm of angle lever 88. The said angle lever is fixedly mounted upon shaft 89, which is journalled in housing H, and lever 88 is thus fulcrumed upon the housing. The other arm 98 of angle lever 88 extends down upon one side of the housing and a lever 8I shaped similar to said arm 88 extends substantially parallel thereto down upon the other side of the housing The shaft 89 is tensioned in clockwise direction by a spring 92 coiled thereon, so that a lug 83 on arm 98 normally rests against the rubber ring 94 extending around an eccenter 95 mounted on rod 96, which extends across housing H and is angularly adjustable thereon. By angular adjustment of rod 98, the normal position of rest lever 88 may therefore be changed as required.

Studs 81 coaxially extend from the free ends of arm 98 and lever 9I, towards each other and detachably carry the end of a substantially horizontally and longitudinally movable carriage 98. The said carriage consists of two flat members 99 which are hinged upon the studs 91, the said members being spaced apart in parallelism by rods I88 and I8I. Upon the ends of rod I8I are rotatably mounted the rollers I82, which travel back and forth on suitable tracks I83 extending from the side walls of the housing H when the parts 83, 81, 88 and 88 of transmitter T are rocked by the motion transmitted thereto from shaft 48 by reason of the engagement of drag lever TI on idler lever 88. Upon rods I08 and I8! is mounted between members 99 a lug I84 which serves to engage upon goods delivered thereto by the elevator E, presently to be explained, to push said goods to the front of the machine and to dispense them through the delivery opening D so that they drop onto a shelf I85. There is also a slotted member I86 slidably disposed upon rods I88 and I8I. It is suitably connected to a counting device, not shown, which registers the number of articles dispensed.

The delivery opening D is surrounded by side walls I81 and a ceiling I88 for a certain distance back into the device, said walls and ceiling forming a duct which is closed at its rear end by a door I88. That door is hinged upon and depends from a transverse rod II 8. The upper end ill of the wall of the door extends above the rod H8 and is normally engaged by a nose II2 extending down from a lever II3 which is fulcrumed upon a rod II 4 transversely supported in the housing. The lever II3 normally rests upon one of the tracks I83 and its end H5 is bent upfrom the point where the lever rests on track I83-past and into slidable engagement upon rod I8I. Rocking of the carriage 98 will therefore swing the lever II3 up and down. When the lug I84 is advanced with the carriage 88 and pushes ahead the article to be delivered, the nose H2 is lifted out of engagement with the end I II of the wall of door I89; the said article engages upon the door I89 and swings it up, out of its way so that the article may be delivered. But in the normal position of the parts the nose II2 prevents tampering with the machine inasmuch as it locks the door I89, preventing a frontward opening of said door and thereby preventing an unauthorized removal of articles from the top of the elevator, behind the said door.

The elevator E depends from transverse angles H6 and H8, respectively disposed in the front and the back of the machine. The flat ends III of said angles are inserted and clamped between the housing H and the base B. The vertical part of the angle I I8 is upwardly continued by angle II9, which extends substantially in alignment with the front of lug I84 or is disposed to the front thereof, when the latter is in its normal position of rest. From the angle II8 extend down, substantially in alignment with the front thereof, the rear elevator rods I28, which are bridged at their lower ends by a plate I 2I In Fig. 5 rods I28 happen to be hidden behind rods I23 and. I35.

A door I22 forms part of the front angle H8, and is swingable into and out of alignment with the back of said angle. From the said door extend down the front elevator rods I23 which are connected at their lower ends by the plate I24. The plate I24 is hinged upon the floor plate I25 of the elevator by means of a knurled screw I26 which is in alignment with the fulcrum of the door I22. The door I22 may be secured in a locked position by the screw I2'I. A second knurled screw I26 extends through a frontward slot in floor plate I25 into plate I24. After screw I21 has been removed and knurled screw I28 has been loosened up, the rods I23 extending between door I22 and plate I25 may be swung upon frontwardly, permitting the placement of a stack of goods between the other vertical rods of the elevator. A screw I28 extends through the center of plate I2I, through a longitudinal slot I38 of floor plate I25, and serves to fasten plate I2I on the latter.

On top of the transverse angles I I6 and I I8 are mounted the longitudinal angles I3I and I32 to the left and to the right of the elevator. They are fastened upon the transverse angles by screws I33 and I34, which respectively extend through transverse and through longitudinal slots in the horizontal parts of the angles I3I and I32. Whereas the front screws I33 and I34 extend through correspondingly sized holes or into suitably tapped holes in the transverse angle II6, the

7 corresponding screws in the back extend through transverse slots MI, in the rear angles H8, and the angles I3I and I32 are clamped onto angle II8 by means of nuts provided upon the lower ends of rear screws I33 and I34.

From said angles I3I and I32,--substantially flush with the inner faces thereof ,extend down the side rods I 'of the-elevator which carry plates I36 and I3I at their lower ends, respectively. The said plates are fastened upon the floor plate I25 by screws I38, which extend through transverse slots I39 in plates I36 and I3! and through longitudinal slots I in the floor plate I25. Since rods I35 are in alignment with angles I 3| and I32, and the said angles face the goods to be delivered, the rods I20, I23 and I35 circumscribe said Igoods exactly in the same manner as the angles from which theydepend. I

It is readily understood that the angles I I6 and H8 may bemoved towards or away from each other and may be clamped into adjusted positions between the housing H and the base 'B. The'lower ends of the depending rods may be adjusted at a-corresponding distance from each other,-plate I 2I being adjustedto the front or to the back along slot I30.- In a similar manner the longitudinal angles HI and I32 may be ad justed towards or away'from thecenter'of the device in a transverse direction, the plates I36 and I3'Ibeing fastened upon the floor'plate I25 in corresponding positions. The view of Fig. 5 shows the angles I3I and I32 and the corresponding rods to be adjusted as close to each other as possible said angles abutting in that instance upon the ends of angle I I9 and the ends of plates I36 and'I3'I abutting upon each other.

The vertically slidable plate I42 is slotted to clear the rods and supports the articles stacked up between said rods in the elevator. At the outer ends of the transverse slots in supporting plate. I42 are fastened the ends of cords I43, which extend-over pulleys I44 suspended from forks I45 adjustably mounted upon the bottom sides of angles I3I and I32 by means of studs and thumb nuts I46, which are engaged upon the longitudinal slots in said angles I3I and I32. At the free ends of cords I43 counter-weights I41 and I48 are fastened thereon, which are spaced apart by a connecting wire I49, said wire being angularly shaped in order to clear the supporting plate I42, as it plays up anddown in the elevator. The counter-weights I41 and I48 tension the supporting plate I42 in an upward direction so that goods stacked up on said supporting plate are elevated betweenthe rods and. between the angles,

the top article of said stack of goods being pressed into contact with the bottom sides of tracks I03 from which it is laterally removed by the transversely moving lug I04.

I have thus described an elevator which not onlyfacilitates the placement of a new charge of goods into the machine but which also allows ready adjustment of said elevator for goods of various sizes. At the same time the whole elevator may be adjusted longitudinally into alignrnent with the lug I04 in its normal position of "60 rest, of Fig. 1.

The elevator is disposed in the base of the ma- .chine which is of course suitably closed and may be provided at the front with another door I49, through which access is given to the elevator and to the correct tokens received and retained in the token collection pocket C in case said pocketis locatediri thebase as described before.

i The supporting plate I42 is indicated in dotdashedllinesfin elevated position in Figs. 1 and 2. I also. showin these views members I50 which extend, uponboth sides of the machine, vertically as plate I68, (Figs. 1 and 11).

extendsthrough the top of housing H between intake I and the wrong token pocket W. The plate I52 and the members I 5| and I50 depending therefrom are normally in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but when the elevator I42 is raised so as to engage upon the bottom ends of vertical members I50, and pushes up the said members while delivering the last articles contained in the elevator, the plate I52is pushed up and closes the slot 2I in intake L preventing the insertion of additional tokens, because there are no more goods to be delivered. A legend may be provided upon the front of plate I52 upon the part thereof facing in the lowered position of the drawing back of wrong token pocket W, said legend advising the user that the machine is empty.

The beforementioned fingers BI and II,by means ofwhich the levers 62' and drag lever 11 are ,angularly set, respectively, in the normal positions of Figs. 1 and 6, for actuation of the machine by correct tokens, form parts of tappets I55,which are rotatably fulcrumed upon a transverse-rod I56 extending from side to side of the housing H. The said tappets I also comprise arms I51 extending upward from said fulcrum, and are engaged near their free ends by set screws I56, which adjustably extend through a square cross piece I59. By means of the set screws I58, the tappets may be adjusted insuch positions that the respectively controlled levers function properly, forinstanoe that the arms 63 of levers 62 hold the gauge 64 in the respective groove insuch'a position that only correct tokens engage upon and actuate said gauges, whereas false tokens do not engage the gauges and pass thereunder,-.or clearing the gauges sidewise as explained below,racing through the slot 60 into the false token pocket F, which is in alignment with the lower end of the groove 60 when the selector is in the normal position of Fig. 1. Fig. I shows a false token 01 passing from groove 60 into false token pocket F. Another false token O8 is shown to have arrived in said pocket and to have actuated an alarm therein, publishing the fact that an attempt has been made to actuate the machine by a false token.

The said alarm comprises a stationary bottom contact member I60 and an upper resilient contact member I6I, which are pressed into contact by the weight of a false token entering upon the false token pocket F, such a contact being brought about in Fig. 1 by the false token O8 resting on the resilient member I6I. The contact member I6I is shown to be grounded at I62, whereas the contact of the bottom contact member I60 is insulatedly mounted upon respective arm and connects through battery I63 to a bell I64 and said bell will ring until the false token has been removed from the false token pocket F. For that purpose the false token pocket is provided with a lock and door I65 at the front thereof.

When tokens are contained in the selector plates and the user operates handle 48, theplates are swung in clockwise direction, until the rollers are engagedat the end of the stroke of crank 4'I,-by the adjustable screws I66 which correspond to the number of plates and which are aligned .upon a square cross piece I61. This swings the levers 62 in a counterclockwise direction so that the gauges 64 release thetokens held thereby, said tokensracing down in the slot as indicated by token O5 in Fig. 8. The bottom of the false token pocket F extends back towards the selector plates and curvedly extends therearound The said plate I68 is provided with slots 69 of the width disclosed in Fig. 11 and of a length corresponding substantially to that of slots I indicated in said Fig. 11 in plate I1 I, and in transverse alignment with the grooves 60 in the plates.

Part of slots I 69 is therefore covered up in Fig. 11 by the plate I'lI. The plate I'lI is substantially concentric to and slidably abuts upon the bottom of the curved part of plate I68. Plate I'lI is retained in such slidable abutment upon plate I 68 by means of the plates I'l2 extending over the front and back thereof. The plate I'll is pressed by springs I'l3 against the end of arm 82. There is a clearance cut H4 in plate I'lI where said plate is normally pressed by springs Il3 against arm 82.

When the tokens are released from gauges 64 by the action of screws I66 at the end of the clockwise, frontward stroke of the crank 41, as described before, the grooves 60 face the part of the slot I69 which is covered in Fig. 11 by plate I'lI. If the machine had not been actuated by the tokens before they were thus released -r-i. e., if drag lever 11 did not engage upon lug 84,--then the released tokens in the grooves fall onto and are arrested by plate I'll and rest thereon. When the operator then releases the handle 48 and selector plates P rotate in counter clockwise direction back to their normal position, the tokens resting on plate I'lI are carried forward over said plate until they drop through slots I69, where said slots are not covered by plate I'lI in Fig. 11, into the chute H5. The said chute I'l5 forms part of refund pocket R and extends to the front of the machine; tokens delivered thereto during the return stroke of the crank 41 drop into the tray "6 of the refund pocket R, from where they may be removed by the operator. Correct tokens are therefore returned to the user of the machine, when the machine was not actuated by said tokens. That is the case, when less than the required number of tokens was inserted. Tokens in excess of the number or tokens required for the actuation of the device find their way into the same pocket. which will be explained later.

When the machine has been properly actuated by the correct number of correct tokens, the drag lever l'l engages upon the idle lever 88, so that the said idle lever participates in the movement imparted by the operator to the selector plates and causes dispensation of goods from the elevator out through the delivery opening D as explained before. But at the same time the arm 82 of the rotating idler lever 80 pushes the plate I'll, against the tension of spring I'l3 to the left side (Fig. 11). The narrower part of slot I10 is thereby shifted into alignment with the part of slot I69 which previously was covered by plate I'll. That part of slot I69, which previously was closed by plate I'll and which now opens therethrough, faces the chute I'l'l of the token collection pocket 0. The tokens which are released by the guage 64, after actuation of the device, drop therefore into chute Il'l and are delivered to the collection pocket C as indicated by token 09.

In Fig, 8 I indicate that the arm 82 of idler lever 80 also engages upon the curved end I'l8 of a lever I19 which is fulcrumed at I89 on chute I11, and depresses said lever into a clearance cut in chute I'l'l, against the action of counter weight I8I at the other end of said lever. The part of lever I'l9 depressed into said clearance cut in chute H1 is so short, that it does not prevent token 05 from dropping past it into chute Il'l.

But it prevents the token 05 from racing down in the chute I'l'l into collection pocket 0. As seen from Fig. 2, the chute I'l'l is provided with a partition I8'l, retaining the tokens in an upright position and in alignment with the selector plate P from which they have dropped into the chute. Since the coin O5 is stopped by lever I19 after it has dropped into chute Ill and is thus retained at the upper end of said chute, other tokens which were contained in groove 60 behind token O5 and rest on top thereof will therefore not be able to drop out of the selector plate. During the counterclockwise return stroke of the selector plate such excess tokens are therefore carried frontward to the front of chute Ill, into the chute I of the refund pocket R and are returned to the operator. During the return stroke the end of arm 82 also releases the curved part I'l8 of lever "9, so that weight I8I swings the said lever into counterclockwise direction in a position of rest. This releases the token 05 which was retained by said lever at the upper end of chute I11, and the token rolls through the chute into the collection pocket C.

The cover plate 42 is not shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. It extends over part of disc 4| and arm 63 and closes the groove 69 upon the face of disc 4| when the machine is assembled thus forming a slot I83, so that the tokens O4, O5 and 06 really race through a slot in the plate P. The manner in which the gauge 64 and the arm 63 are disposed in said slot I83, and the manner in which tokens pass through said slot under specific conditions are indicated in Figs. 12 and 13. The groove 60 extends into the disc to a depth substantially corresponding to the thickness of a correct token. If therefore a correct token races through slot I83 along the side I82 of said slot which is the bottom of the groove 60,the token will normally follow such a path under gravity,the token is engaged upon one edge of its circumference by the concave edge 61 of gauge 64. The said edge 61 is attenuated to such an extent that it does not engage upon a token following the side I82 of the slot when the said token is of less than the thickness of the correct token. such a false token of insuflicient thickness races therefore past the edge 61 of the gauge 64,--possibly swinging said gauge out of the way,into the false token pocket F where it gives an alarm indicating that an attempt has been made to actuate the device by a false token.

In Fig. 12 we notice that the slot I83 formed by the groove in the disc and the cover widens out upon the inside of the plate P and is narrowed down again at its exit. The slot I83 is wider where the gauge is disposed therein and there a magnet I84 is countersunk into the cover 42; of course it also may form an integral part of said cover in which case the cover is suitably, preferably permanently, magnetized.

Tokens are normally made of semi-valuable or precious metal, but not of iron. False tokens or slugs are frequently made of iron, ferrous metal, or are otherwise magnetizable. Such magnetizable false tokens will not follow the side I82 of slot I83 in racing through said slot, but will be pulled over to the opposite side of said slot by magnet I 84, racing through the slot along the said side I85 of the slot. The magnetizable false token is of course of the same width or of less width than the correct token, because otherwise the said token could not have been inserted through the device through the intake. Since the side of slot I83 is removed from edge 61 to a distance equalto or exceeding the thickness of the correct token, the said magnetizable false token,-following wall l85,is not engaged by gauge 64, races through slot I83 and drops into the false token pocket F where it actuates the alarm.

Gauge levers 62 may be made so sensitive by adjustment of the tension applied thereto and by an accurate setting of fingers l I, that underweight tokens do not actuate the mechanism although they are engaged by the gauges, correct weight tokens actuate the device, and overweight tokens momentarily lift the gauges into actuating position but immediately release them again, because they are too heavy to be retained by the gauges in the actuating position and slip, due to gravitational force, out again from under the gauge, and race through the slot into the false token pocket.

But the device is also operatable when less sensitively adjusted,though not differentiating the tokens by weight,the gauge merely arresting the token Without being lifted thereby into an actuating position. The finger H then lifts the gauge when operation is begun, the token sliding a very short distance under the gauge and blocking it in the lifted position, in which lever 62 engages and actuates the drag lever Tl, after finger 8| has released the said drag lever.

Although I have shown and described one form of embodiment of my invention in detail, yet I do not wish to be limited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claims may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment of my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a device actuated by a token of predetermined width, in combination with an intake, a rotatable selector plate with a slot extending therethrough, said slot normally communicating with said intake and a token delivered from said intake to said slot being adapted to race through said slot, and an oscillatable gauge offsettedly disposed in said slot and engaging upon one edge of the circumference of said token of predetermined width gravitationally racing into said slot, tokens of less than said predetermined width, which gravitationally race into said slot, clearing and racing past said gauge.

2. In a token-actuated device, a selector plate with a slot extending therethrough, a correct token racing gravitationally through said slot on one side thereof, a gauge of limited Width in said slot engaged by a correct token gravitationally racing through said slot and actuating said device when thus engaged, and magnetic means comprised in said plate on the other side of said slot opposite to the said one side and redirecting magnetizable tokens racing through said slot to a path along said other side of said slot, said slot being of such width at the point where said gauge is disposed therein, that said redirected tokens racing through said slot along said other side thereof clear and race past said gauge.

3. In a token-actuated device, a selector plate, comprising a disc with a straight groove extending across the face of said disc, said groove substantially clearing in width a token racing therethrough, a lever fulcrumed upon said face of said disc and extending over said groove, a gauge mounted on said lever, extending into said groove, engageable by a token racing through said groove and actuating said device by way of said lever when thus engage-d, and a cover removably extending over said groove in said disc and over said lever and forming with said groove a slot guiding said tokens.

4. In a token-actuated device, in combination with rotatable slotted selector plates, levers mounted on said plates, gauges depending from said levers into said slots and predeterminedly engaging upon tokens racing through said slots, and rollers mounted on said levers, tappets rotatably mounted on said device, fingers comprised in said tappets and disengaging and engaging said rollers when said plates are rotated, arms comprised in said tappets and extending to the top of said device, and adjustable means on said device predeterminedly stopping said arms, setting said tappets and regulating the engagement of tokens racing through said slot by said gauges.

5. In a token-actuated device, rotatable slotted selector plates, means for manipulating said plates, means actuating said device, when the correct number of correct tokens is delivered into the slots in said plates and when said plates are manipulated, a false token pocket, arefund pocket, and a collection pocket alternately aligned with the slots in said manipulated plates, and means releasing from the slots of said manipulated plates false tokens, wrong change, and the tokens actuating said device to said pockets, respectively.

6. In a token-actuated device, rotatable selector plates provided with slots, means for manipulating said plates through an operating cycle, a collection pocket communicating with said slots during an operating cycle, the tokens by which said device was actuated dropping from said slots into said pocket, and means retaining in said slots tokens in excess of the tokens required for actuating said device.

' EDWIN J. BROWN. 

